


Strawberries

by marinalorelai



Series: Ancient Greek Myths and Tales [1]
Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Death, Flower Language, M/M, Mentions of other Gods - Freeform, Red - Freeform, Sorry guys, another literature assignment, but i needed them marks yall, but then BOOM, gays in love, its meant to be but there are legit no tells, its meant to be cutesy for the first part, modern au?, myth appropriation, so much fucking symbolim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:27:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26660665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marinalorelai/pseuds/marinalorelai
Summary: A retelling of the myth of Apollo and Hyacinthus, written in my own words.
Relationships: Apollo/Hyacinthus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Series: Ancient Greek Myths and Tales [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939810
Kudos: 16





	Strawberries

**Author's Note:**

> This story can also be found on my Tumblr, marinacantwrite, please do not repost anywhere else online

The sound of the waves crashing on the shoreline could be heard from the small clearing, creating a comfortable harmony with the soft singing of the birds and whispers of the wind through the trees. A steep cliff almost wholly dominated the west side of the clearing, with white lilies and chrysanthemums lining the edge, creating a flimsy barrier between passers-by and almost certain death. The two boys had spent much of the early morning hiking up the mountain trails to reach the clearing, not an uncommon activity for the two of them. As soon as he could hear the waves, Apollo could tell they were steps away from the clearing as soon as he could hear the soft hum of the waves.

Arriving at the clearing, the boys remained in a comfortable silence as they set out everything they’d brought with them for their day in seclusion. On the soft picnic blanket, they set a variety of fruit and snacks, strawberries as red as fresh blood, mangoes as bright as the sun. Apollo decided to leave the athletics gear within the bags for now, as he doubted they would need it until after a late breakfast. Sitting down next to his lover, he takes a second just to observe the man’s face. Hyacinthus’ features are soft, and Apollo swears they almost glow in the morning sunlight. How did I ever get so lucky? He asks himself.

He catches Apollo staring, and smiles gently before breaking the silence, “Are you feeling alright there Apollo?”

“I’m fine, just lost in thought.”

“Pleasant thoughts I hope.”

“How could I have any others with you next to me?”

Smiling at his boyfriend, Apollo leans in and captures his lips with his own in a soft kiss, his heart skipping a beat as is it often still did when their lips touched. After three years together he still felt the butterflies form in his stomach whenever he was with Hyacinthus, a wave of love for the other man washing over him. Breaking apart slowly, he turns to look out towards the direction of the ocean, his head resting atop Hyacinthus’ shoulder, a casual form of affection not uncommon for the two boys to share between them.

Picking up a strawberry from the small woven box in which they were held, Apollo admired the vibrant colour of the fruit before him. Red was the colour of love, the colour of the warmth you feel when beside the fire, of passion and romance, yet it was also the colour of anger and war, of the blood running through our veins that tends to be spilt due to such emotions. Red was something almost indescribable. Lost in his thoughts, Apollo barely noticed as Hyacinthus plucked the strawberry from out of his grasp, smiling before eating the flavourful fruit. This cordial way is how the boys spent much of the rest of the morning, preparing for an afternoon full of games.

~~~~~

As the wind from the west picked up, Apollo swore he could hear Thanatos’ laugh upon it as it swept swiftly through those same trees that always seemed so hospitable. Dark clouds were emerging over the horizon, the lightning wrath of Zeus appearing in short instances, ready to shatter anything that may stand in its warpath. Lilies and chrysanthemums could be seen flying through the air now, ripped so carelessly of the stems which once gave them life.

“Hyacinthus!” Apollo called out to his lover, who further towards the cliff, practising for a planned game of discus. “It seems the weather is taking a turn for the worse, it would likely be wise to head home now!” 

“Be that as it may, we still have not had the chance to play! We still have time for a few rounds, and nevertheless should still be able to make it down before the storm hits!” his voice was barely distinguishable over the roar of the wind.

Apollo didn’t think it was much of a good idea to remain on the mountain for much longer, but knew there was no point in reasoning with his lover once he had made up his mind, decided to just go along with it and try as he might to get through the games quickly so they may be able to head home. Pulling the pristine white discuses from their bag, they measure them against their hands to make sure they have the correct sizes, before moving all the picnic gear towards the side of the field, giving them more space to play. As the west wind died down for a minute, and Apollo hopes that is the last of the nefarious wind he sees for the rest of his days. 

“Behold!” Hyacinthus grins triumphantly “The wind is gone; we’ll be able to get some actual practice in.”

Laughing at Hyacinthus’ verve as he walks to the centre of the clearing, he braces to throw the discus, lining up his shot and measuring the distance. Swinging his arm and letting go of the disc, he watches it fly out towards the cliff’s edge, soaring rapidly through the air. Just at that moment, the wind picks back up, causing the discus to fly off course, directly towards that which he loved the most. He runs towards Hyacinthus, but everything plays out in slow motion before him, until all he can see is red.


End file.
